should ask you whether it is right and proper to drag before the public tribunal such improprieties, or to hold up the "Magnates" of the land for doing what was difficult to avoid! when it was done privately; and when the object ought in a certain degree to have formed the excuse. But, Mr. Editor, when we find a "Christian Reader" exaggerating facts and the "Christian Advocate" permitting such statements to be inserted into his paper, we are apt to suppose there was some other motive than the mere statement of the truth!-When we find the Christian Reader stating that the above desecration of last Sabbath by a British Judge, and a member of the Law Commission, in occupying a great portion of the day in examining the senior department of the Hindu College boys at the Supreme Court Chambers, I think, Mr. Editor, the Christian Advocate should have inquired into the truth of this bold and most unjust statement of the above simple facts, before publishing them. 16th March. ANOTHER CHRISTIAN. NOTE. This letter leaves the matter just as it was, confirming the statement of the correspondent of the Christian Advocate in every point. That the desecration of the Sabbath took place is fully admitted. That a great portion of the day was occupied in secular work seems to be denied; but at the same time it is stated that the work required so much time that it was impossible to spare so much from the duties of a week day. We are informed, which we did not know before, that one of the parties remonstrated against the proceeding and so acknowledged its sinfulness or its impropriety. The "head and front" of the offending is just as stated in the former letter. It was an offence against God and against the proprieties of Christian society.-ED. Poetry. יהוה בסי JEHOVAHI-NISSI-THE LORD MY BANNER. WHEN hosts are encamping His soul to destroy, In midst of their tramping The saint smiles with joy, Though their swords be the sharpest That hell can afford Jehovah-nissi, His banner's the Lord. Exod. xvii. 15. He too has a weapon, His banner's the Lord. A shield too he weareth, His banner's the Lord. His helmet's salvation, His banner's the Lord. With greaves he is furnished That never will fail ; His breastplate is burnished, And behind and before him Jehovah-nissi, His banner's the Lord. And thus, in celestial panoply clad, By Jesus his captain to battle he's led; He dreads not the thousands that vainly oppose; Σ. Missionary and Religious Entelligence. 1.-MISSIONARY MOVEMENTS. We are happy to announce the safe arrival of the Rev. W. S. Mackay from Van Dieman's Land, whither he had repaired for the benefit of his health which is, we are happy to say, much improved. May he be long spared to labor in this land of heathenism.-We have the mournful task imposed upon us this month of announcing the death of the Rev. W. H. Pearce of the Baptist Mission in this city. A short notice will be found below: we hope to be able to supply a fuller account in our next. "Mr. Jacob Samuel has proceeded to the coasts of Arabia, with a view to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, of which he has been furnished with a supply by the Bombay Auxiliary Bible Society. The British and Foreign Bible Society has contributed £100 in aid of the expence of his agency.— The Rev. A. Stack house has sailed for Aden, where he will officiate as chaplain to the troops at that station.-The Rev. R. K. Hamilton, appointed Junior Chaplain of the Scotch church at Madras, officiated with great acceptance as he passed through Bombay, to join the scene of his labours. The Rev. Dr. Duff of the General Assembly's Mission has . arrived in Bombay, on his way to Calcutta. During his late sojourn in Scotland, he has most ably, eloquently, and effectively advocated the cause of Missions, and published several most interesting and important works, to some of which we shall embrace an early opportunity of directing the attention of our readers.-The Rev. George Candy was ordained a priest by the Bishop of Bombay on the 22nd of December. The sermon which the Bishop preached on the occasion was remarkably faithful and appropriate. A new religious periodical, we understand, is about to be started in Bombay. It will be denominated the Church Missionary Magazine, and if conducted in the spirit of the Church Missionary Society, as we doubt not it will be, it will merit and receive adequate support.-The Bishop of Bombay has proceeded on a visit to Khandesh. We recommend to our readers the Christian's Almanack, lately published at the American Mission Press. The selection of texts which it contains is admirable. It contains the only complete list which we have seen of the different Protestant ministers in this presidency, and the adjoining territories.-A new series of the Friend of India, published at Serampur was commenced at the beginning of the year. It is the most valuable newspaper which issues from the Indian Press. We have received the two first numbers of the Protestant Guardian and Church of England Magazine, published at Madras. The best-written articles in it, are those containing the summary of European intelligence. We say nothing of their evident political bias."- Oriental Christian Spectator. 2.-DEATH OF THE REV. W. H. PEARCE. We have made the following excerpts on the sorrowful event of the death of our once excellent friend and colleague from an article which appeared in the C. C. Advocate on the 21st instant, "It is our mournful duty to announce to the friends of Missions, the death of one of the most devoted and useful laborers in the mission field -the Rev. W. H. Pearce of the Baptist Mission in this city. We are confident this announcement will be received by every missionary and every friend to missions with sincere regret. His simple but sincere piety, the suavity of his manners, the amenity of his disposition, the hospitality of his conduct, his varied talents, and the constant, faithful and efficient discharge of the many duties which devolved upon him, served but to endear him to all. Though a firm and decided Baptist, he was catholic in his feelings and conduct: he loved all who loved our Lord in sincerity and truth. As the Pastor of a native church, the Composer and Translator of several useful tracts and books; as Secretary to the School Book Society, and Conductor of the Mission Press; as an efficient adviser in all public Societies, and as a judicious counsellor and sincere friend in private life, Mr. Pearce has lived in the midst of this people for nearly twenty-three years, inclusive of his late visit to England. "In his own Mission his loss will be deeply and mournfully felt. To his estimable and devoted partner the loss can only be repaired by him who is a father to the fatherless, and a husband to the widow. "Mr. Pearce fell under the influence of that dreadful scourge, the cholera. He was seized late on Monday night (March 16th), after an evening drive, and expired about nine o'clock on the following evening. He was evidently aware that his labors were fast coming to a close. On a friend addressing him in the language of inspiration. "Well done, good and faithful servant," he replied in language indicative of his extreme unworthiness, and the unprofitableness of all his labors in the cause of Jesus. On being asked as to the state of his mind on the approach of death, he answered, "I trust in Christ." He was tolerably collected and reasonable, and expressed himself in confidence and peace, until a few hours before he fell asleep in Jesus without a sigh or a groan. "He was interred on Wednesday evening, at the Scotch Burial ground. The funeral was attended by a vast concourse of ministerial and other friends-we may add, we believe, by almost every convalescent Missionary in the city. The deep feeling manifested by all parties, showed how much he had been respected while living, and how evidently he was sorrowed for in death. Previously to the removal of the corpse from the mission premises, suitable portions of scripture were read by the Rev. J. D. Ellis, and an affecting prayer was offered by the Rev. W. Yates. Mr. Yates is by this mournful event left the last of those who originally formed the Calcutta Mission. He was evidently much affected by the severing of this last link which connected him with his early Mission work. At the grave's mouth a striking and affecting address was delivered, and prayer offered by the Rev. F. Tucker. The pall was borne by the following Missionaries: the Rev. W. S. Mackay, of the Scottish Mission; the Rev. F. Wybrow, of the Church Mission; the Rev. Messrs. Gogerly, Lacroix, and Boaz, of the London Mission, and others. The scene at the grave was very affecting. There were gathered around the last sleeping-place of this good man, the converted Hindu, Musalman, Armeniau, Portuguese, Eurasian, and European, lay and clerical, of all the different shades of opinion in the Christian church, all gathered together to pay the last mark of respect to departed worth; a faint type of that morning when the same grave shall be opened, and all the just shall stand around the throne of Christ, with their differences healed, united in heart and soul, to pay all homage not to man, however excellent, but to that blessed Lord who hath redeemed them by his own precious blood." 3.-LENT LECTURES. The usual lectures for the Lent season have been and are now in course of delivery at the Cathedral by the Venerable the Archdeacon. The VOL. I. 2 G subjects for discourse were Death, Resurrection, Judgment, Doom of the Ungodly, the Blessedness of the Godly, and the Sufferings of our Lord, whereby that blessedness can alone be procured. They have been well attended. 4. MISCELLANEA. A new religious periodical devoted to the support of the Protestant faith under the title of the Madras Weekly Protestant Visitor, has been started at that Presidency; we have received two numbers of it and can most cordially recommend it to our readers.-A new native paper has been started at Bombay, entitled The Native Enquirer. It is devoted to the discussion of native subjects by natives.-The Rájá Rájnáráyan Ráy has been brought up to the Supreme Court and fined 1000 Company's Rupees for his contempt of the writ of that Court, and this in addition to the imprisonment he has undergone: we hope the lesson which has been read this raja will not be lost either on him or others of his countrymen, who may be disposed to play the tyrant with the liberty of their poorer neighbours.— Where is the Editor of the Bháskar?—The two Native Bábus who were indicted for murder have been acquitted; it is reported that some of the witnesses contradicted the evidence originally given by them at the Inquest or Police. We have no doubt but that this case will have a tendency to check the violence which is too often resorted to by the natives for the gratification of private piques. 5.-DISSOLUTION OF GOVERNMENT CONNEXION WITH THE IDOLATRIES OF INDIA. The Act declaring all connexion between idol shrines and the Government of British India at least as far as this Presidency is concerned to be dissolved, has at length appeared; at present all parties appear to be satisfied with the arrangement connected with this important measure. To us who have long laboured in this cause, it is a matter of sincere gratification; we lift up our hearts to Jehovah and bless his name, for it is his own right hand and his own holy arm that hath gotten him the victory. 6. THE ADMINISTRATION OF HEATHEN AND MUHAMMADAN OATHS ABOLISHED. The Act declaring simple affirmation in the name of the living and true God to be binding on all as on oath, instead of the former swearing on the sacred waters of the Ganges and on the Koran, has been issued by the Supreme Council. We rejoice that the land will no longer mourn because of the swearing by false gods and a lie, and cannot but feel grateful to the Government that under God they have so promptly and wisely conceded this matter to the strongly expressed wishes of that section of the Christian and Native community, who felt aggrieved by the former method of administering oaths. 7.--CHRISTIAN TRACT AND BOOK SOCIETY AT SINGAPORE. We have just received the first report of the Singapore Christian Tract and Book Society. The number of tracts distributed in the various languages spoken in the archipelago is very considerable; a depôt for the sale of books has been established, agencies corresponding and otherwise have been appointed at the different islands and stations throughout the archipelago, and other measures adopted for rendering Singapore a central point from whence the little messengers of mercy may be sent with order and expedition to many parts of that increasingly (to Christians) interesting portion of the globe. Our friends at Singapore will have a fine opportunity for usefulness during the stay of the fleet at that port, and also for conveying Bibles and Tracts to the coast, and we hope to the interior of |